For we once so loved the world by HowlingDarkness95
Chapter 36
Nico sat beside his cousin, listening intently as Percy retold the whole story from the ambush at the base to what Amora did to him, to the whole Hel part which was still just a blur in Percy's mind to how he woke up to see Triton and his dad and finding out that Loki had saved his very soul.
"I don't really remember much of my time in Helheim, or however you pronounce that. I mean, I remember that I was running, and that I didn't remember Loki, but I don't remember specific events." Percy said, shrugging.
Nico pursed his lips, "Maybe it's because of the different time frames. Kind of like how time passes faster in the Underworld as compared to the real world, maybe time passes faster in Helheim too."
Percy shrugged again, "Maybe." He said simply, the two of them falling into companionable silence.
Percy waited while Nico mulled things over, he could understand how upset the other demigod might be, so he decided that it was better to let him digest everything first. After all, he still felt guilty for not telling his cousin where he disappeared to.
Nico, on the other hand, was turning over the events that his cousin had gone through in such a short amount of time. It seemed that even when he wasn't involved in the Greek world, he still couldn't catch a break. Two wars were more than enough for one person, and yet Percy was dragged into yet another complication. Surprising his cousin and himself, he launched himself at Percy, the taller demigod catching him easily as he wrapped his arms around his cousin. Nico hugged Percy around the midriff tightly, as if to reassure himself that Percy was really there. Percy blinked in shock even as his arms came up to return the embrace. Within the three of them, it was always Percy who was the most tactile, Thalia didn't do hugs, she did lightning bolts and punches and Nico just stayed away from general contact. For him to initiate contact first... Percy sighed and leaned into the embrace, his cousin burying his face into his neck.
"Don't ever do that again Perce. Please." Came the muffled voice from the son of Hades.
Percy smiled slightly, "You know I can't guarantee that Nickky." He said softly, "I cannot promise that I won't die, we're demigods after all. But I can promise that I will damn well fight all the way."
Nico grinned and nodded, removing himself from Percy, slightly embarrassed. Percy reached out a hand and ruffled the smaller boy's hair, causing Nico to yelp indignantly. "I'm not a child!" the darker skinned boy huffed, patting his hair down.
Percy smirked, "You're four years my junior, kiddo."
Nico scowled, "If you wanna get technical, I'm older than you by at least seventy decades or so."
Percy snorted, "Yeah well, time in the Lotus Hotel isn't counted."
Nico glared at Percy, who just smiled back cheekily. The hydrokinetic whipped his head around, eyeing the block of ice that blocked the entrance to the clearing. Nico stiffened as well, gripping the sword he had laid on the ground while they were talking. He moved to stand but Percy held a hand out, concentrating. After several seconds, he relaxed, waving his hand and melting the ice. "Take down your shadow wall." He said, eyes never leaving the path.
Nico gaped at him, "What? Are you mad? Who knows who it could be on the other side!"
Percy rolled his eyes exasperatedly, "Nickky, its Loki, let the poor god in."
"Who said anything about me being a poor god?" Loki commented as he stepped into the clearing as Nico complied, the sight of the huge dragon not even fazing him at all, though he did give the reptile a wide berth as he walked towards the two demigods, Thor slung over his shoulders.
Loki dropped the thunder god unceremoniously on the ground, making Percy and Nico wince when the god's head smacked the ground with a loud thud. Percy looked up at Loki who was dusting himself off, taking note of the way the god favored his right side. His eyes widened at the sight of Thor's silver hammer hanging from Loki's fingers, but said nothing, deciding to ask the god later when they didn't have an audience, even though it didn't seem like the god was aware that he was carrying Mjolnir. He looked from Thor to Loki, "Is he okay?"
Loki's face darkened, and he shook his head mutely, "He is merely unconscious, he s not yet free of the chitauri's magic, though that will be rectified once we get to somewhere more...secure."
"Some might say that there isn't anything less secure than a hundred headed dragon you know." Percy pointed out.
Loki shook his head amusedly, "I need time and space to remove the spell from his mind. He is not trained in magic, and will not have known how to shield his mind from this sort of invasive spells. The spell would be intricately meshed with his psyche and thus it will be a delicate process."
Nico blinked confusedly, "Can't you just break the spell?"
Loki sighed and shook his head, "Thor is a warrior, not a seidrmaster. He has no ability to manipulate the energies of our worlds save for the lightning that he calls upon when wielding Mjolnir. He does not have the knowledge of how to shield his mind from external magic because he was never taught that. All seidrmasters are required to know how to shield their mind, it is one of the most basic lessons. Without the shielding..." Loki trailed off, " His consciousness was subjected to the spell entirely. I need to remove the spell gently or it may cause irreparable damage."
Nico nodded, slightly confused, while Percy hid a smile, it was obvious that Loki wanted to say more, but held himself in check so he didn't overwhelm the other demigod. The god of mischief looked around the clearing, "I thought that the mortals followed you up here, where are they?"
Percy stared at him for several seconds before he groaned, slapping a hand to his face, he had completely forgotten that Loki didn't know what the avengers were doing here either. "Oh gods, I forgot, you didn't know what they're here for."
Nico raised a skeptical eyebrow, "You're telling me that both of you rushed here without even knowing what for?"
Percy grinned embarrassedly, turning to Loki, who was looking at him inquisitively. "Well, apparently there is another gem on earth, and apparently, its here in San Fran where the titans made their base." Percy informed him, making a face at the last part.
"But it wasn't always here," Nico pitched in, "The gods knew about its presence, but they could never go near it because the gem would disappear and reappear in another location as soon as they get within a certain range."
Loki frowned, "And they did not try to retrieve it? Surely with the amount of intelligence and magic the Council has they should have been able to obtain and secure it."
Percy shrugged, not knowing the answer either and looked at his cousin. Nico sighed, "They monitored it, but seeing as how the gem wasn't affecting anything negatively, just staying in the area, they decided to leave it. I mean, the mortals can't get it, and neither can the titans, they'd just cause the gem to vanish to some other place."
Loki tilted his head thoughtfully, but it was Percy who asked, "Why would the mortals be unable to get the gem? I mean, not that I'm not grateful that they didn't manage to get their hands on it, but it doesn't make sense. Mortals have no power, which is why they can retrieve the gem, that's why Steve, Tony and Bruce are up there."
Nico shrugged, "For some reason, it's always only appeared in places where there are heavy Greek or Roman influence. And the Mist is thick enough to deter the mortals from the place."
Loki raised an eyebrow disbelievingly, "I find it hard to believe that there are such coincidences in the world."
Nico shot him a glare, "Well believe it because that's what happening, or do you think I'm making this up?"
Loki narrowed his eyes at the tone, and the two of them had a glaring match which had Percy sighing. It figures that his cousin and his – what was Loki to him? Boyfriend? – own green eyed god would be at loggerheads. Percy grimaced, he could only think of how Thalia might react... Percy stood up and crossed between them, breaking their staring contest, "Enough you guys, you haven't even met for five minutes and you're already quarrelling." He grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.
Loki scoffed, "I would hardly call that quarrelling, it was but a mere difference of opinion."
Percy glared at him, "I haven't even officially introduced you guys yet!" he said, throwing his hands up exasperatedly.
Nico huffed, "You can introduce us now if you want." He turned to Loki, "Hello, I'm Nico, the son of Hades and the Ghost King, you can call me your majesty." He snarked.
Loki smirked, giving a bow to the waist, "Pleased to meet your acquaintance di Angelo, I am Loki, Trickster and God of Mischief, Bringer of Ragnarok and Silvetongue, but you may simply call me the all powerful one, I am not a picky man." The god smiled sweetly, while Nico bristled at him.
Percy just slapped a hand over his face.
"Children," he groaned, "I'm dealing with children."
Steve, Tony and Bruce carefully ascended the stairs, the thick fog that had surrounded the clearing earlier completely disappearing the higher they went, though the cool air remained. The three mortals remained silent through an unspoken agreement. It seemed weird to break the silence between them, as though a beast would emerge out of nowhere if they raised their voices.
And speaking of beasts...
"Guys did you all see that dragon or was I hallucinating? Please tell me you all saw that!"
Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, rounding on his team mate, "Tony!" he hissed, "Be quiet! We don't know what might be out there!"
Tony rolled his eyes, "Oh like what? Another multi-headed dragon? And can we get back on topic here? Did you guys see that or am I going crazy?"
Bruce felt his lips twitch, but refrained from outright laughing because Steve looked like he was going to have an aneurysm, "I did." He put in quietly, "It was magnificent though wasn't it? I mean, a full, real life dragon and we've seen it with our eyes!" he exclaimed, his smile breaking out on his face now.
Tony pointed at him, "See? This is what I'm talking about here, this kind of excitement, and imagine the samples that we could have taken! I mean a living, breathing dragon straight out of mythology. Remind me to have a word with Percy because he's been friends with a dragon and he never told us!"
Steve sighed, giving up on trying to stop the two scientists, honestly, he liked Tony enough, and he felt grateful towards the guy for helping him find his way again, but the man could be seriously annoying when he wanted to be. Case in point, he was still rambling on about the dragon and how they should have touched it. Although, Steve mused, it was interesting to actually lay eyes on a mythical beast, something he knew hardly anyone could have claimed that they had done so.
Tony poked him in the shoulder, "Hey Cap, what do you think about the dragon?"
Steve bit his lips to keep from sighing again, "What do you want me to say Tony? Yes, it is magnificent, I agree, I have never seen one outside of books before, and I probably need more time to actually process the fact that I have just seen a real dragon."
Tony pouted, "You're no fun you know that? Bo-oring."
Bruce shook his head amusedly, "Do you think there might be more out there?"
Steve looked curiously at Bruce, who cleared his throat and clarified, "More dragons, I mean, I don't think that that was the only one on earth right? It would be interesting to see the different species and their habitats."
Steve blinked, "Well no, I think there should be several more somewhere, we could ask Percy about it, though what are the chances that we might encounter another one?"
Tony threw his head back and laughed, Steve shooting him a dirty look for the ruckus he made, "You just had to say that didn't you Cap? Now we'll really meet another dragon cause Murphy hates us like that!"
Steve frowned, confused, "Who is Murphy and what does he have to do with this?"
Tony just kept laughing.
The narrow path soon began to broaden, the uneven steps leveling out for a smoother journey. The transition from a narrow path to an open compound was so abrupt that it left the three mortals blinking at the sudden amount of open space they had. The mist, which had been slowly thinning as they ascended the mountain – and it was weird, thinkng that they were climbing a mountain via stairs of all things – now dissipated, only visible on the outskirts of the plateau they had emerged on.
They looked around in awe, the sight of the sea stretching out for miles on end with the vast sky above them stunning them into silence. They were high above sea level, far, far above, and the view was breathtaking. Tony, who had flown higher than any mortal had, was the only one who understood the beauty of looking from above. It was the reason why he loved his suit so much, and why despite the trauma he faced in Afghanistan – which should have made him hate the suit – he constantly upgraded his suit, taking care of it, ensuring that it had durability.
After the initial awe and wonder had faded, the three avengers looked around the place. They saw a huge monument before them, or rather, what would have been a huge, towering structure, if the whole building hadn't been torn down to its foundations. Even so, the fallen pillars and the collapsed roof presented a formidable sight.
Tony eyed the ruins carefully, "Think these were the ruins that the kid was talking about?"
Steve tried to peer around the broken structures, but the darkness in the main compound of the collapsed building absolute, and he could not even see past the first set of pillars that lay broken at its steps. He carefully moved forward, Bruce's soft mutter of 'These are the only ruins Tony' filtering through his ears. He waved at his two team mates, the three of them falling into formation easily, Steve taking point and Tony and Bruce flanking him on either side. They gingerly stepped over the fallen pillars, Steve holding his shield before him and Tony put his suit down, allowing the metal to transform and envelope his body, the gears clicking into place. The HUD lit up, and Tony instructed JARVIS to bring up the frequencies they had charted as a comparison for what he was scanning.
They entered through the main entrance, a giant gaping hole where doors might have once stood proudly, their footsteps echoing around them. Tony, being the only one who had anything remotely electrical, pressed two fingers to the side of his helmet, a bright, narrow beam of light shooting through the darkness. Their path was illuminated slightly, dust particles floating in the ray of light. There seemed to be a layer of golden dust coating the floor, reflecting the light back to their eyes, making the floor seem as though it was shining gold.
The three of them looked uncertainly at each other, but Steve motioned for them to continue onwards, they had a mission, and they'd already come so far. As they went in deeper into the building, vague sounds of angry hollering permeated the air, causing Bruce to whip around in alarm, his hand clenching the dagger tighter.
"What was that?" Bruce murmured, his eyes darting around.
Steve narrowed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the origin of the sound, "I'm not sure, it's coming from in front," he responded, "Could that be the person that Percy warned us about?"
Tony stayed silent behind his faceplate, his eyes scanning through the feedback JARVIS brought up and the thermal sensors he had at the side of his HUD. "Well," he piped up, his eyes drawn to the spiking energy levels in his suit, "we have to move forward anyway, the gem is up ahead."
Steve frowned, "We're moving forward. Try to ignore the calls, it might be a trap or something."
"And what if it's someone in need of help?" Bruce asked softly.
Steve paused, "Then we help."
They moved from the front part of the building – palace – and entered the courtyard, shielding their eyes momentarily from the sudden sunlight burning their retinas, their eyes adjusting to the sudden change in brightness.
Bruce blinked spots out of his eyes, lowering his hand, the other still gripping the dagger tightly. He blinked in surprise when Tony whooped and took off diagonally to the left, Steve sprinting after him. He moved forward, intent on following them, but jerked to a stop when a raspy voice floated to him.
"Mortal."
Bruce whirled around, his heart pounding, lifting the tiny dagger in front of him. "Who's there?"He demanded.
Silence. Then –
A low chuckle echoed around the courtyard, and Bruce found himself drawn by it, slowly maneuvering in the opposite direction of his two friends. He followed the laugh half-heartedly, one side of him telling him to run and don't look back, the other telling him to check out the voice's origins. He turned a corner, and the wall he had been following fell away, revealing another plateau, one that had a sheer drop on the other side, a jagged cliff jutting out.
Bruce swallowed, his eyes drifting to the huge mass of swirling grey clouds that nearly touched the ground.
"Mortal." The voice hissed again, startling Bruce out of his skin. He looked around, before his eyes caught sight of a figure wedged between the grey mass and the dirty ground.
He drew back in shock, pointing his dagger at the man – for it was obvious that it was a man staring back at him, despite the harsh lines on his face and the stony eyes that seemed to have been carved into his face. Bruce stood, frozen in shock at the intense and intimidating figure before him. Despite the majority of his body being hidden by the clouds, the look that the man was giving him was enough to stop him in his tracks.
Atlas grinned cruelly, the scars on his face rippling at the action, "Mortal," he purred, "Did you wander in by accident? Perhaps your curious little mortal tendencies led your feet here."
Bruce couldn't answer even if he wanted to, his throat seized up in fright, the sound of the man's voice was even more intense up close.
Atlas chuckled, "Would you not like to help a fellow man out here? Help relive me of this burden mortal."
"And what – what's in it for me if I do that?" Bruce stammered shakily, finding his voice again.
The titan's eyes flashed angrily, and Bruce felt a shiver go down his spine, "Foolish mortal!" Atlas roared, straightening up slightly, the mass of clouds shifting along with him, "You dare to defy me? I, who am Atlas! The general of the Titan army. You, a puny mortal dare to mock me?"
Bruce felt the Hulk stirring beneath his skin, knowing that his eyes had a green tinge to it now. The two behemoths stared each other down, Bruce lowering his weapon when logic filtered into his mind.
"I don't need to help you, you don't deserve it." He said coldly, turning around and walking back the way he came, thankful towards to other guy for snapping him out of his shocked stupor. He ignored the outraged roaring behind him, making his way briskly towards the courtyard. He stepped into the courtyard to find Steve and Tony arguing loudly, their voices drowning out the enraged titan's.
"What did I miss guys?"
It was comical how the two of them stopped, turned and looked at him at the same time.
Tony flew forward, landing before him, flipping his faceplate up, "Brucie boy! Didn't momma ever tell you not to wander off?"
Bruce frowned, but Steve interrupted, "Bruce, where were you? And," he narrowed his eyes, focusing on the yelling, "Is that the voice we heard just now?"
Bruce gripped Steve's arm as he tried to go where Bruce had come from, shaking his head, "Don't, there's nothing there but a madman. Trust me, its not something you want to see."
Steve stared into Bruce's eyes, seeing the sincerity behind it, he nodded.
"So did you guys get the gem?" Bruce asked, changing the subject.
Tony nodded, grinning, "Well duh," he said, hefting up an arm, "We can't all go on excursions to see the wildlife now can we?" A section of the metal protruded out as the gears shifted, displaying the gem in a container attached to Tony's suit.
Steve nodded at them and Tony kept the gem, the three of them retracing their steps to regroup with Percy, Nico and Loki, Bruce looking back only once before he descended the stairs.
They walked back into the clearing with the dragon, who was asleep again, seeing Percy and Nico lounging on the ground, while Loki stood over an unconscious Thor.
Seeing them, Nico looked questioningly at Steve, who gestured to Tony, the genius showing them the gem like he was showing off his own creation. Nico nodded and whistled for Mrs O Leary, the hellhound's appearance inducing loud protests from the three mortals, but their reactions to seeing the hellhound had nothing on the hellhound's reaction to seeing Percy again. Percy had been pounced on, licked thoroughly, and sat on by the overgrown dog, who had expressed how much she had missed him through the above stated actions, drenching him from head to toe in dog-slobber.
Percy laughed at her antics, trying to calm her down, while the three avengers just stared in shock at his happy face. That wasn't to say that they weren't happy that Percy was smiling more, no, the avengers were happy that he was finally opening up, something that they had tried hard to do but had never really succeeded, they were more shocked that he had actually expressed himself in their presence. Nico just felt lighter than he had in what felt like ages since he felt Percy's life force slip away at the sight of his cousin smiling again. He knew something had happened between him and Annabeth, something that had Thalia spitting mad and frying the poor blond each time she met her oldest friend, but he didn't push Percy. As outgoing as the other demigod could be, he was also excellent at hiding his own problems, and Nico would wait for Percy to talk, because he knew that pushing Percy into revealing his problems would get them nowhere.
Nico took hold of Percy and Loki – much to his displeasure – and disappeared into a shadow, after instructing Mrs O Leary to follow after him.
They appeared in the room where Triton had briefed the mortals on their mission, Loki and Percy looking around at their dingy surroundings, the room bare save for a metal table and several chairs, making it look like an interrogation room.
Tony lifted the contained gem hesitantly, "So, any idea where we should put this?"
Nico shrugged, "I have no idea, I don't think Triton actually told us what to do after we retrieve it..."
Loki snorted, "While you are discussing about what you could do with a potential weapon, would you mind directing us to a room where I can remove the thrall that the chitauri trapped my – trapped Thor in?"
Nico shot the god a dirty look, and said, "Walk out, turn left, down the hallway, turn right, third door on your right, it's a free room. If you don't get lost."
Loki smiled thinly, and hefted the thunder god on his shoulders, stalking out of the room. Percy sighed, following him, telling Steve that he'd see them later.
Within a few minutes, Loki arrived at the room, Percy seconds behind him. The god barely paid any attention to the demigod, laying his brother out on the bed. Loki looked at Percy, "I need to start the removal now, and I will need total concentration, so I might not be able to communicate with you."
Percy smiled, resting a hand on Loki's forearm, "I know, help your brother, I'll be here when you get back."
Loki nodded his thanks, leaning in to give Percy a chaste kiss, returning his focus to his unconscious brother. He took a deep breath and laid his hands on each side of Thor's head, tapping into the well of energy deep in his soul as he descended into a storm filled landscape.
Thor came into consciousness abruptly, much unlike the previous time he was unconscious. He blinked rapidly, clearing away the last vestiges of fogginess in his mind as he awoke. He stared at the cracked ceiling, vaguely wondering if his friend's house had taken a beating while he had been unconscious.
"Well, I think we really need a rule that says 'No Sleeping Beauty' in our team. I mean, you're the third person already. Although I think Cap has everyone beat hands down with his seventy years in ice."
Thor started violently, his head whipping around so quickly that he felt something crick in his neck.
"Stark?" he asked hesitantly.
Tony gave him an unimpressed look, "Of course it's me, who else were you expecting? Jane? Sorry, I don't think I can match up to her." He snorted.
"What – what are you doing here?"
Tony rolled his eyes, "This is what I get for being nice and sitting by your bedside keeping watch." He said dryly.
Thor shook his head, his blond locks falling in his face, "I do not mean to offend , my friend, I was merely wondering where I am and how I ended up here."
Tony scrutinized him, "You really don't remember?"
Thor shook his head, "I – I only remember entering the battle back in the heart of New York then – nothing."
Tony exhaled disbelievingly, "You were under the chitauri's control Thor, we had to retreat and regroup." The genius grimaced, "I hate to say this but, Loki saved your life and ours. Again."
Thor's eyes widened, "Loki? He – how?"
Tony shrugged, "I don't know, he did some magic mojo," he said, wriggling his fingers at Thor, "And then he said that you were fine. Not that we'd know because you were unconscious. Oh wait, no, you were sleeping, I forgot, there's a difference."
"My friend," Thor pleaded, "Tell me where my brother is."
Tony sighed, "Since when did his status change from public enemy number one to hero of the day?" the scientist complained, scratching his face absently.
"Tony –"
"I don't know where he is big guy, I mean, none of us really kept an eye on where he went. Although I think that the kid might be with him..." Tony said, trailing off.
Thor would have said more, but the door opened then, Triton stepping through.
The god looked at the newly awaken Thor and then back at Tony, "You were supposed to inform us if he awakes remember?" the god put in dryly.
Tony raised his hands, "Don't blame me, I don't have anything to call you by. What do you want me to do? Knock out a Morse code on the wall?"
Triton sighed and glared at him, looking pointedly at the door. After several moments, Tony huffed and got up from his seat, "Fine, fine, fine, I know a dismissal when I hear one. Honestly, you people are so easy to rile up..." he muttered, his voice trailing away as he stepped out of the room.
Triton turned severe eyes onto the thunder god, "Do you remember anything of the last week?"
Thor furrowed his brows, "I have said this before, I do not remember anything except entering battle alongside my comrades. I wish to see my brother."
Triton narrowed his eyes, "Do you even know who you speak to? You will speak to Loki at a later time, for now, the Council requests your presence."
Thor straightened up, "What for?"
Triton smiled thinly, "We cannot afford to have our enemy's spy within our territory now can we? The Council will decide if you are fully removed from their thrall."
Thor leapt off the bed, his hands aching for Mjolnir, "You do not trust Loki to remove all traces of their influence over me?" he demanded, straightening to his full height, towering over the other god.
But Triton was not fazed in the slightest, he merely tilted his head upwards and said, "We trust your brother, but do you?"
Thor flinched minutely, but that small action was enough of an answer for the heir of Atlantis. Triton smiled thinly, "I thought so. Come Thor Odinson, the King of Olympus desires to meet you."
Unable to do anything and unable to summon Mjolnir, Thor had no choice but to follow behind Triton like a lost puppy. The god flashed them to Olympus, leaving no trace of their presence behind.
Percy leaned his head on Loki's chest, breathing in and out quietly, the god's heartbeat thumping steadily in his ear, his arm thrown over Loki's waist. The god of mischief curled an arm around Percy, the two of them laying intertwined on the bed that was provided, their legs entangling together. Not the most comfortable, but they weren't being picky, just glad that they could have some time together after the hectic events. They hadn't been able to do much together since Loki had been unconscious for most of the time after Percy had woken up, and they had rushed off for battle not long after. Percy groaned inwardly, they never did have that talk with Poseidon after all.
Percy had almost gone into a full blown panic when Loki had nearly passed out after he finished the process of removing the spell – which took several long hours of Percy waiting in a corner in silence, and Percy had called for Triton to deal with Thor while he carried Loki in a fireman style to the nearest vacant room and dumped him on the bed.
That was several hours ago.
Loki had woken up about half an hour ago but had chosen not to move from his current position, a pleasant waking surprise for him, waking to his lover lying on his chest. The silence had stretched on, but it wasn't uncomfortable, yet Percy felt as though something was off. The demigod shifted and pulled himself upright, balancing one hand on Loki's chest and the other on the bed.
"What's bothering you?"
Loki lifted amused green orbs, "What makes you think I'm bothered?"
Percy sighed exasperatedly, grumbling, "Everything is a riddle with you." He looked at the god in the eye, "You're brooding. Again. What's on your mind?"
It was Loki's turn to sigh, sometimes, he thought mournfully, Percy was too sharp for his own good. He shifted, looking away, "I cannot lose you again Percy," he said seriously, his eyes darting back towards the demigod, "I lost you once, never again. When we parted ways on that day, I had thought that we would reunite in the evening. I thought that we had more – time." Loki swallowed harshly, "I did not expect that our first kiss might be the last, and I never expected to see you murdered right before my eyes." He whispered, his voice breaking.
Percy's eyes softened, "You won't," he replied, "I promise you, I won't leave you."
"How could you not?" Loki laughed wetly, "For all intents and purposes, you are a mortal! Your lifespan is infinitesimal compared to mine, and I am barely in my prime." The god withdrew from Percy, drawing a hand across his face, "You will die, and you will leave me alone. You will leave, like everyone else left. There will be no one left."
Percy jolted in shock, all this time, he had been fine with his own death, accepted it as an event that happened to him, as surreal as it had been, as though it had been but a dream, not reality. He hadn't given a thought about how Loki felt at all, being a witness to that traumatizing event. He reached out a hand hesitantly, his fingers curling around Loki's wrist. "You won't lose me. I promise – no, I swear on the river Styx." Percy said seriously, Loki's eyes lifting in shock, the demigod continued, "I'll stay by you, whatever it takes. I promise. I won't leave you."
Loki just stared at him, "You – you would swear, on the Styx for me?"
Percy grinned, "It's not really for you per se, I mean, I'm doing myself a favor by staying alive..." He smiled when Loki scowled, "But yes, I would." He shifted, tangling their hands together, "But you have to promise me something in return."
"Anything." Loki said uncharacteristically, throwing caution to the wind. "Promise me you'll never leave me."
Loki blinked for several moments, then smiled and tugged the demigod towards him, "I can promise you that, I do promise you that. I won't leave you."
Percy grinned and Loki crushed their lips together, the motion setting his nerves on fire as he deepened the kiss. The god broke away, saying, "We should learn how to use this."
Percy blinked confusedly, his mind racing to catch up with Loki's thoughts. "Wha –?"
Loki took his right wrist, showing the red band that remained stuck on his wrist, despite everything that had happened, "This. This is a gem after all, it might be useful if you know how to wield it as a weapon."
Percy groaned, his head flopping backwards, "You utter tease!"
Loki smirked victoriously, and leaned forward again, but the two of them jerked back when someone pounded on the door.
Percy groaned again, and if he was a lesser man, Loki would be inclined to join him.
As it was, he merely cleared his throat and said calmly, "Who is it?"
A pregnant pause, then –
"Brother – Loki, I wish to speak to you."
Loki tensed, his hands curling into fists as he recalled how their last talk had gone. He felt a feather light touch on his hand, and he glanced sideways to see Percy give him an encouraging smile.
"Talk to him." Percy said, his eyes growing serious, "Talk, don't shout, and try not to lose your temper."
Loki pressed his lips together, "I have no wish to speak to him." He said icily, bunching up the sheets.
Percy sighed and rubbed circles into his shoulders, "Believe me, you'll only feel better in the long run. Talk to him, get some closure. You can't both just keep hanging in limbo, wondering if the next step is a safety net or a bomb. Believe me, I didn't want to talk to Triton either, but we did, and look where we are now."
Percy slid from the bed, padding towards the door, not giving Loki the chance to reply as he opened it, smiling at Thor who seemed surprised at the fact that he was in Loki's room. "Come in, you guys have a good talk, I'll probably go find some of the campers." He smiled, feeling the heated glare that Loki was giving him. He opened the door wider, stepping aside to allow Thor to come in. The poor thunder god looked so nervous, even if his face showed none of it. He grinned cheekily at Loki, who had hastily arranged himself into something less unsightly than sprawled out on the bed and who was glaring daggers at him now.
Percy waved and stepped out, his smile dropping off his face as he closed the door softly behind him. He strolled leisurely down the hallway, greeting some of the campers that he recognized, though none of them were his close friends. He smiled slightly at how they grinned happily and greeted him, as though he had never left Camp in the first place. He turned the corner, colliding with someone, papers scattering all over the place.
"Oh shit, I'm so sorry," he said, hastily bending down to pick up the papers, "I'm sorry, it's my fault, I didn't see you –" he stopped short, looking up, hands freezing in place, his eyes widening.
"Annabeth."
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